Placement Reviews by JFPP Students

 

Abby Young
Tennant Creek - Oct 2013
As part of my final John Flynn placement in Tennant Creek I spent two days with the Rural and Remote Health team. This is a group of nurses experienced in remote health who visit various communities outside Tennant Creek every day in order to provide medical care that may not be available otherwise.

Click here to learn more about Abby Young’s placement experience in Tennant Creek.

 

Jaime Fox
Utopia - Jan 2013

Utopia medical clinic staff are employed by, and accountable to the community. Services are provided based on community need and requirements. This means that nurses visit outstations on a weekly basis and provide basic medical care and medical checks to whoever turns up, which is open to all, further referrals are made if required. This means that the barriers of not having a vehicle or childcare, or other social and economic factors that may limit healthcare provision are mitigated. Healthcare is more accessible to those that need it most, problems can be caught early, and there is an onus on service delivery to all. The results of this model are that although Utopia has many of the challenges faced by other NT communities, its health indicators are comparatively improved compared to similar communities. These relative successes have been attributed to community involvement and self-determination, and the strong connection to land and culture in the community. The medical centres’ staff and structure also plays a large role in many of these successes.

Click here to learn more about Jaime Fox’s placement experience in Utopia.

 

Georgia Preece
Mt Liebig - Mid 2011

I had the pleasure of doing a one month placement at Mt Liebig, also known as Amunturrngu. Mt Liebig is a small town located about 325kms west of Alice Springs. It has a varying population of approximately 150-300 people, predominantly an indigenous community. The main language spoken in the town is Luritja – I learnt the basics: Yuwa (meaning “yes”), wee-ah (meaning “no”) and colour (meaning “finished”). This was my first remote placement and I went into it with two main goals – to learn about the functioning of a remote medical clinic and to further develop my cultural awareness with the indigenous community. This placement facilitated my goals and far exceeded my expectations.

Click here to learn more about Georgia Preece’s placement experience in Mt Liebig.

 

Share your Placement Story

Placement reviews by JFPP Students are an excellent way to guide, inform and reassure upcoming JFPP Students about the placement journey and NTGPE is keen to publish such stories on line and through newsletters to external stakeholders. If you wish to contribute please send your story (700 – 2500 words) and photos to [email protected]. All published stories will be rewarded with a $50 Coles Group and Myer Gift Card to recompense for time.